Aligning coupler



Sept. 26, 1950 H. c. PFAFF, JR

ALIGNINQ COQFLER'w Filed Jan. 14, 1949 I INVENTOR. 7% PF F; d

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 26, 1950 7 ALIGNING COUPLER Henry G. Pfaff, Jr., East Orange, N. J.

Application January 14, 1949, Serial No. 70,949

5 Claims.

. e e 1 This invention relates 'to lighting units, such as are suspended from horizontal supports for lighting streets, roads, and other areas therebeloW. j

It is found, in practice, that the support to V which the light unit is secured is frequently'nottruly vertically disposed; as the light unit is suspended a substantial distance above the road or other surface, even a slight misalignment :of the unit from a true vertical position will misdirect the light so that the unit willfail to serve its intended purpose. Itisdifiicultto maintain true alignment of poles in use, even .where' they are initially truly aligned. 7

Pursuant to the instant invention, an aligning coupler is provided-whereby the light unit may be initially aligned in true vertical position even where the..pole or other support therefor is misaligned. It.is likewise possible, by the use of my device, .to make adjustments from time to time to compensate for movement Of the pole so as to constantly maintain the light-unit in true vertical position.

These and other advantageous objects, which will appear from the drawings, and from the description hereinafter, are accomplishedby the structure of my invention, ofzwhichan embodiment is illustrated in the drawings. Itlwill be apparent, from a consideration of said drawings,

and thefollowing description, that the invention may-be embodied in otherforms suggested thereby, and such other forms as come within the scope-f the appended claims areto be considered within the scope and purview of the instant invention.

In the drawings-- Fig. 1 is a medial Vertical sectional view of an alignment coupler embodying my shown secured to a horizontal support (fragmentarily indicated) and supporting alight unit (frag-mentarily indicated), I

Fig.v 2 is a top plan viewthereof, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, and L Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, which illustrate one of many forms of my device; the aligning coupler is shown as comprising a coupler arm I0 having a, horizontal open end I2 and a vertical open end I3, said open ends being disposed at a 90 angle to each other, as indicated at II. An internal annular bead I5 is disposed inwardly of the horizontal end I2 and serves as a stop for the horizontal support I4 to be received in said end and secured to the arm to suspend the arm thereinvention,

' truly vertical. 0.

from. The horizontal support I4 may be welded or otherwise secured to the arm In in the position indicated. The other, open end I3 of said arm is disposed downwardly in a plane at right angles to the open end I2. An internal flange I6 is provided in, the arm member I0 inwardly of the open end I3, said flange having preferably at least three threaded apertures I8. A tubular connector 20, having an outwardly flanged end 2I and externally threaded as at 22 at its other end, is provided. The flangedend 2| is adapted to be received in the vertical open end l3 of thearm I0. Said flanged end has apertures 28 preferably equal in number to and aligned with the apertures I8 of the internal flange I6 of the arm. A cushion member 23 is interposed between the flanged end 2| of the tubular connector and the internal flange I6 of the arm I ll, preferably three or more bolts I9 passing freely through the apertures 28 of thetubular connector 20 and thread- I edly engaging theapertures I8 of the internal flange I6, to draw the tubular connector 23 within the end I3 of the arm I0 and against the cushion member 23, the latter being thus tightly com pressed to seal the end I3 of the arm I0.

compensate for any misalignment of the arm- It. Any discrepancy between the axial line 30 of arm I0 and the true horizontal line 21 will, of course,

be reflected in the vertical axial line 3I of the end I3 0f the arm to which will correspondingly be out of alignment. By adjusting the bolts I9,

3| of the end I3 of the-arm Ill, which is not By this arrangement, as will be apparent from aconsideration of the drawings,

thetubular connector 20 may be initially secured to the arm ID in a position to describea true vertical position and to hold the light unit '24 which may threadedly engage the tubular connector in a true vertical position for eflicient lighting purposes. Likewise, adjustments can be made by means of the bolts I9, from time to A nut 29 may be threadmam Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent for is:

An alignment coupler comprising a tubular arm having open unthreaded inner and outer ends disposed at a 90 angle, an internal annular bead disposed inwardly of the inner one of said ends and serving as a stop for a horizontal support to be received in and rigidly secured to said inner end to suspend the arm therefrom, the outer open end'of said arm being disposeddownwardly, an internal annular flange in said arm spaced inwardly of the downwardly presented outer end thereof, said flange having at least three threaded apertures spaced from each other circumferentially thereof, a tubular connector having an outwardly flanged inner end and an-externall y l threaded outer end, said flanged inner end'being of a diameter adapting it to be received in the downwardly disposed outer end of said arm in spaced relation to walls thereof, said flanged end having unthreaded apertures aligned with the apertures of said internal flange, a cushion member. consisting of a sleeve of elastic material fitting snugly in the outer end portion of the arm between the flanged end of the tubular connector and the internal flange of saidlarm, and bolts passing upwardly through the openings in the flanged end of said connector and screwed into the threaded openings in the internal flange of said arm to draw up the, tubular member in the end of said arm to compress the cushion member and angularly adjust the alignment of. said tubu:-.-

lar connector relative to the vertical axis ofthe outer end of the arm and thereby dispose the tubular member in true vertical position for securing a light unit thereto.

2, Analignment coupler comprising a tubulararm having open ends disposed at a 90 angle, a stop disposed inwardly of one of said ends for,

a horizontal support to be received in and secured to said end to suspend the arm therefrom, theother, open end of said arm being disposed downwardly, an internal flange disposed in said arm inwardly oi said downward opening, said flange liavingthreaded apertures, a tubular concorineotbr and said internal flange of said arm to draw up the tubular member in the end or said arm to adjust the alignmentof said tubular connector relative to the arm to therebydispose 'a tubular member in tiu'e vertical position for securing a light unit thereto.

3. An alignment coupler comprising a tubular 4 7 arm interposed between the flanged end of th' tubular connector and the internal flange of said arm, and fasteners passing through the openings in said flanged end of said connector and said internal flange of said arm and adapted to be tightened to draw up the tubular member in the end of said arm to adjust the alignment of said tubular connector relative to the arm to thereby dispose the tubular member in true vertical position for securin a lightunit thereto.

4'. An alignment coupler comprising a tubular arm having open ends, one of said ends being adapted to be secured to a horizontal support to ,suspend the arm therefrom, the other, open end of said arm being disposed downwardly, an internal flange disposed in said arm inwardly of said downward opening, said flange having apertures, a, tubular connector having an outwardly flanged end adapted to be received in the vertical opening of said.- arm, said flanged end having aperturesoaligned with the aperturesjof said internal flange, a cushion member disposed within the flanged end of the tubular connector and the internal flange of said arm, and adjustable securing members engaging, said flanged end portion of saidarm with its lends abutting the flange of saidconnector and said internal flange or said arm to draw up the tubular member in the end of said arm, to compressv the cushion member and'formfa tight, joint and also adjust the alignment of said tubular connector relative to the downwardly extendingv end portion of the arm and thereby dispose the tubular member in true vertical position for securing a light unit thereto. V

" 5. An alignment coupler comprising a tubular arm having open ends disposed at a 90 angle to provide a horizontal upper end portion and a vertical lower "end portion, an internal bead disposed inwardly of the upper end portion serving as .aistop for a horizontal support to be receive'd in and secured to said end 'to suspend the arm therefrom, the other, open end of said arm being disposed downwardly, an internal flange disposed insaid arm inwardly oi its -downwardly presented lower end, "said flange having at least three threaded apertures, a tubular connector having an outwardly flanged upper end and an externally threaded lower end, "said flangede'nd breing of a diameter adapting it tofbe loosely received in the downwardly disposed end portion of said arm, said flanged end having apertures aligned'with the apertures of'said internal flange, and bolts passing thron'gh the openings of the flanged end of said connector and screwed into the openings in the internal flange bf said arm arm having openen'ds, a stop disposed inwardly;

of one of said ends in position for engagement a horizontal support to be received in and 'se' said internal flange, a cushion member in said to draw up the tubular member in the lower end of said arm to adjust the vertical an nrnent of said tubular 'conneotorrelative to lower'end portron-er the "arm and thereby dispose the tublilar member in true vertical pesition for securin a light unit thereto. I i

HENRY c. PFAFF, JR.

7 REFERENCES" CITED T e following ref rences are of re'drd in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 715,423 Ryan Dec. 9, 1902 2,272,222 Mullen Feb. 10, I942 

